Mole-trap.



N0. 689,324. Patented Dec. I7, |90I. S. B. &. J.F. RITTENIIUUSE.

HOLE TRAP.

(Appuminn and rob. 2a. um.)

(lo Model.)

A cv? o l Q e "F2 H 7L d2 f 'd Q :s2 ab UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

SILAS B. RITTENHOUSE AND JAMES F. RITTENHOUSE, OF LIBERTY MILLS,INDIANA.

MoLE-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 689,324, datedDecember 17, 1901.

Application iiled February 28, 1901. Sserial No. 49,276. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern: A

Be it known that we, SILAs B. RITTENHOUSE and JAMES F. RITTENHOUSE,citizens of the United States, residing at Liberty Mills, in the countyof Wabash andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mole-Traps, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings..

This invention relates to impalement-traps the prongs of which areintended to pierce and kill moles and other small animals, said prongsbeing carried by, a suitable frame adapted to slide and bespring-propelled down along one of the anchoring vertical guiderods,which are thrust into the ground alongside of the burrow of the mole. Y

The objects of our invention are to provide the trap with two continuousanchoring-rods, one of which serves as a guide for the springpropelledsliding frame and the other serves not only as a pivot-support for thetrippingplate, but also as aside support for said plate, so that it canswing in only one directionvi'z'., toward or away from the outer end ofthe trigger-and said trigger is provided in the side of its innerendwith a rectangular notch, the top and bottom edges of which are forthe sliding frame to actuate the trigger while said frame is pulled upand render the trap substantially self-setting, as there is no need tohandle the tripping-plate nor the trigger while causing an engagement ofsaid parts while pulling up the sliding frame. We attain these objectsby the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichrFigure 1 is a perspective View of the trap unset, with the prongs-framenearly resting upon the tripping-plate. Fig. 2 is a side view of thetrap set, having the prongs-frame elevated and the trigger in engagementwith the tripping-plate.

In said drawings, A represents the main frame of the trap, consisting ofa flat bar of metal bent upon its edge like a horseshoe to obtaininexpensively an arched frame and two rods B and B2, pointed at theirlower ends, to be driven part way in the ground and used as anchors forthe trap. The rod B serves also as a guideway for the vertically-slidingparts of the trap, while the rod B2 has the trippingplate D pivotedthereto upon the pin d, passing through its vertical wing D2 and throughsaid rod B2. The fiat face of the wing D2 being parallel with the faceof the rod B2, said trippingplate D can swing only in onedirection-viz., toward or away from the outer end of the trigger T, sothat the turned-up lip d2 on the shorter end of the tripping-plate isalways at right angles to the face of the rod B2, in properlocation toengage with the outer end of said trigger. For the same reason thepivoted end or inner end of the trigger T, mounted upon the pivot-pin e,is retained by said pin parallel with the face of: the rod B2, and thusthe outer end of theV trigger is adapted to always drop into engagementwith the turned-up lip d2 of the tripping-plate Without any necessity ofhandling either the trigger or the tripping-plate. To further insuresaid engagement, even if the trigger happens to be rusted on its pivot,and to render the trigger self-set and positively operated by theprongs-carrying plate F, said trigger has on its inner edge adjacent toits upper end a rectangular notch H, the upper shoulder 7L of whichenters into engagement with the top of the plate F when the latter ispulled up and the bottoni shoulder h2 enters into engagement with thebottom of the plate F after having the lower end of the trigger inengagement with the turned-up lip d2 of the tripping-plate.

The vertically-sliding frame of the trap consists of a Iiat rod E, thatis retained Vertically connected to the frame A by means of the staplea2, looselyencircling said rod E and having its ends passing throughperforations made in the central portion of the arched frame A. The rodE has secured in a horizontal position to its lower end the plate F,each end of which is provided with a row of prongs f, intended to pierceand kill any mole which may, while lifting the top of itsburrow,.slightly lift the outer end of the tripping-plate D and releasethe trigger T. To guide the lower end of the rod E or its horizontalfoot-plate F, the latter has secured to one of its sides an arm F2,which has a rectangular slot to receive loosely the anchoring-rod B ofthe frame and be guided thereby.

ICO

' lift it until the free end of the trigger T has been swung down andentered into engagement with the lip d2 of the tripping-plate.

To prevent the lower end of the trigger from swinging too far inwardlyand prevent its acute end from engaging with the surface of thetripping-plate, a pin m projects from the face of the anchoring-rod B2and is in the way of the back edge of the trigger.

To retain the anchoring-rods B and B2 of the frame parallel to eachother, so that one of them can be relied upon as a guide for the slidingframe of the trap, they are united together with a bar BB, located abovethe prongscarrying plate F of the sliding frame. bar is bent laterallyin its center for the free passage of the propelling spring S. Saidspring is in the form of a cylindrically-coiled wire surrounding theVertical rod E and having its lower end resting upon the top ot' theplate F, while its upper end bears against the bottom edge of the archedframe A.

Having now fully described our invention, we claiml. The combination ofa trap-frame consisting of a Hat bar bent on its edge and arched,terminating into two fiat anchoring-rods having pointed ends,- atripping-plate provided with a side wing resting dat against, andpivoted to one of said anchoring-rods, and a turned-up lip on itsshorter end, a verticallysliding frame consisting of a central verticalrod and a prongs-carrying plate, a coiled spring pressing against saidplate, a trigger having its upper end pivoted to one of theanchoring-rods and having a rectangular notch Said.

in its inner edge, the upper and lower shoulders of said notch beingadapted to engage with the top and bottom su rfaces of theprongscarrying plate substantially as described and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination of a trap-frame having two anchoring-rods, atripping-plate pivoted to one of said rods and provided with a turneduplip on its shorter end, a vertically-sliding frame having a central rodand a prongscarrying plate, and a trigger having its upper end pivotedto one of the anchoring-rods and provided with a rectangular notch inits inner edge, the upper and lower shoulders of said notch beingadapted to engage the prongscarrying plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a trap-frame having two anchoring-rods, thetripping-plate pivoted to one of said rods and provided with a turned-uplip on its shorter end, a verticallysliding frame having a central rodand a prongscarrying plate, a coiled spring surrounding said centralrod, and a trigger having its upper end pivoted to one of theanchoring-rods and provided with a rectangular notch in its edge, theupper and lower shoulders of said notch being adapted to engage the topand bottom faces of the prongs-carrying plate, one of the anchoring-rodshaving also a pin m projecting therefrom in the path of the inner edgeof the trigger, substantially as described. l

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

SILAS B. RITTENHOUSE. JAMES F. RITTENHOUSE.

Witnesses:

MAUD RITTENHOUSE, CLARIssA L. RITTENHOUSE.

